When we talk about the human genome, the differences between us are often subtle—eye color, height, or a dimple. Yet, occasionally a tiny genetic twist gifts a person or a whole population with a truly remarkable ability. Below we explore ten of these astonishing powers, each rooted in a rare mutation that sets its carriers apart from the rest of humanity.
10 Can’t Get High Cholesterol
While most of us have to watch our intake of fried foods, bacon, eggs, or any other item that’s labeled “cholesterol‑raising,” a handful of individuals can indulge without a single worry. No matter what they consume, their so‑called “bad cholesterol”—the low‑density lipoprotein (LDL) linked to heart disease—remains virtually nonexistent.
These fortunate people were born with a genetic mutation that knocks out functional copies of the PCSK9 gene. In most cases losing a gene is a disadvantage, but here the absence of PCSK9 produces a strikingly positive effect.
After researchers linked this gene to cholesterol regulation about a decade ago, pharmaceutical companies raced to develop a drug that mimics the mutation by blocking PCSK9 in the broader population. Early trials have shown reductions in LDL of up to 75 percent, and the medication is now on the cusp of FDA approval.
To date, the mutation has been identified in only a small number of African‑American individuals, each enjoying roughly a 90‑percent lower risk of heart disease thanks to their naturally low cholesterol levels.
10 Amazing Powers Overview
9 Resistance To HIV
Imagine a world where a super‑virulent virus threatens humanity. In that scenario, only a few people with natural resistance would survive. One such resistance exists for HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.
Some individuals carry a mutation that disables their CCR5 protein, the doorway HIV normally uses to infiltrate human cells. Without CCR5, the virus struggles to gain entry, making these carriers extremely unlikely to contract HIV.
Scientists caution that this mutation offers resistance rather than absolute immunity. A minority of people lacking CCR5 have still become infected and even died from AIDS, because certain HIV strains have learned to exploit alternative proteins to breach cells.
People who inherit two defective copies of the CCR5 gene exhibit the strongest resistance. This condition is present in roughly 1 percent of people of European descent and is even rarer among other ethnic groups.
8 Malaria Resistance
Those who are especially resistant to malaria often carry the sickle‑cell gene—a mutation that can cause a severe disease called sickle‑cell anemia. While nobody wants to suffer from malformed blood cells, the sickle‑cell trait can be a lifesaver in malaria‑endemic regions.
Malaria parasites invade red blood cells, reproduce, and then burst out, destroying the cell and spreading to new ones. This cycle drains blood, stresses organs, and can trigger severe complications like coma or seizures.
The sickle‑cell mutation changes the shape and flexibility of red blood cells, confusing the malaria parasite and making it difficult for the parasite to attach and invade. As a result, carriers of the trait enjoy natural protection against malaria.
Importantly, you don’t need to have full‑blown sickle‑cell anemia to gain this benefit. Individuals who inherit just one copy of the mutated gene (heterozygotes) have enough abnormal hemoglobin to fend off malaria while avoiding the debilitating effects of the disease. In many malaria‑prone regions, between 10 % and 40 % of the population carries this protective trait.
7 Tolerance For Coldness
Inuit and other peoples who thrive in brutally cold climates have long fascinated scientists. Are they merely trained to survive, or do they possess a distinct biological edge?
Research shows that native cold‑dwellers display physiological responses distinct from those who live in milder environments. Even after decades of relocation, newcomers never achieve the same level of adaptation as generations‑old natives. For example, indigenous Siberians have proven more cold‑adapted than non‑indigenous Russians living side‑by‑side.
People from cold regions typically have a basal metabolic rate about 50 percent higher than those from temperate zones. They can retain body heat without shivering, possess fewer sweat glands on the torso but more on the face, and maintain higher skin temperatures when exposed to cold. These traits help explain why aboriginal Australians can sleep on cold ground without clothing, and why Inuit can comfortably spend much of their lives in sub‑zero temperatures.
The human body adapts more readily to heat than to cold, making these cold‑adaptations especially impressive.
6 Optimized For High Altitude
Scaling Mount Everest without a Sherpa guide would be a near‑impossible feat for most. Sherpas and Tibetan highlanders, however, possess physiological traits that let them flourish where oxygen is thin.
Living above 4,000 meters (13,000 ft), Tibetans routinely breathe air containing roughly 40 percent less oxygen than sea‑level air. Over millennia, their bodies have adapted by developing larger chests and greater lung capacities, enabling each breath to draw in more air.
Unlike low‑landers, who boost red‑blood‑cell production in response to low oxygen, high‑altitude peoples produce fewer red blood cells. This counterintuitive strategy prevents the blood from becoming overly viscous—a condition that can cause clots and other life‑threatening complications. Sherpas also exhibit superior cerebral blood flow and are markedly less prone to altitude sickness.
Even when Tibetans relocate to lower elevations, they retain these adaptations, indicating a genetic basis rather than a temporary phenotypic change. A key genetic variant lies in the EPAS1 gene, which regulates oxygen sensing and red‑blood‑cell production. The Han Chinese, who share ancestry with Tibetans but split roughly 3,000 years ago, lack this adaptation, underscoring how quickly such traits can evolve—within about 100 generations.
5 Immunity To A Brain Disease
In the mid‑20th century, the Fore people of Papua New Guinea faced a terrifying epidemic of kuru, a fatal prion disease spread through ritual cannibalism. Kuru, related to Creutzfeldt‑Jakob disease and mad‑cow disease, devastates the brain, creating sponge‑like holes that lead to memory loss, personality changes, seizures, and death within a year of symptom onset.
Anthropologists eventually traced the outbreak to mortuary feasts where tribe members consumed the bodies of the deceased as a sign of respect. Women and children, who participated most in the practice, were disproportionately affected, leaving some villages with almost no young women.
Yet, a subset of the Fore survived. Researchers discovered that these individuals carried a novel variation in the G127V gene, granting them immunity to kuru. This protective mutation has since become widespread among the Fore and neighboring groups—a striking example of rapid natural selection occurring within just a century.
4 Golden Blood
Most of us think of type O‑negative as the universal donor, but the reality of blood‑type compatibility is far more intricate. Beyond the familiar ABO system, there are 35 recognized blood‑group systems with millions of possible variations.
Enter “Rh‑null,” the rarest blood type known. Individuals with Rh‑null lack any antigens in the Rh system—a condition far more extreme than simply being Rh‑negative. To date, only about 40 people worldwide have been identified with this phenotype.
Because Rh‑null blood contains no Rh, A, or B antigens, it can be transfused into almost anyone, even those with other rare negative blood types that O‑negative cannot reliably match. This makes Rh‑null truly “golden” in medical emergencies.
Unfortunately, only roughly nine donors exist globally, so the blood is reserved for the most critical cases. Doctors have even gone to great lengths, sometimes breaching ethical norms, to locate anonymous donors when a patient’s life hangs in the balance.
3 Crystal‑Clear Underwater Vision
Most eyes are optimized for either air or water, not both. When we try to look underwater without goggles, the image blurs because water’s density closely matches that of the eye’s internal fluids, reducing light refraction.
Enter the Moken, a “sea‑gypsy” people who spend eight months a year on boats or stilt houses and dive without modern gear. Their children regularly collect clams and sea cucumbers from the ocean floor, a task that has honed a unique visual adaptation.
Scientists discovered that the Moken can reshape their lenses while underwater, increasing refraction and sharpening vision up to depths of 22 meters (75 ft). In tests, Moken children displayed underwater visual acuity twice that of European children. Remarkably, when European children were trained on underwater tasks, they achieved comparable performance, suggesting the trait can be cultivated under the right environmental pressure.
2 Super‑Dense Bones
Osteoporosis—characterized by loss of bone mass and density—poses a major health risk as we age, leading to fractures, broken hips, and spinal curvature. Yet, a small group of Afrikaners carries a gene that does the opposite, continually building bone throughout life.
This advantage stems from a mutation in the SOST gene, which regulates the protein sclerostin that in turn controls bone growth. When an Afrikaner inherits two copies of the mutated gene, they develop sclerosteosis, a condition marked by severe bone overgrowth, gigantism, facial distortion, deafness, and early death.
However, carriers with only one copy avoid the disorder while still enjoying exceptionally dense bones. Researchers are studying these individuals in hopes of unlocking new treatments for osteoporosis. Early clinical trials are already exploring sclerostin inhibitors that could stimulate bone formation in the broader population.
1 Need Little Sleep
Ever feel like some people have extra hours in their day? For a rare few, the secret is a genetic mutation that lets them thrive on six or fewer hours of sleep each night.
These individuals don’t merely survive on reduced rest—they actually flourish. The key lies in a mutation of the DEC2 gene, which enables the brain to function efficiently with less sleep, delivering more intense REM cycles and higher overall sleep quality.
While most people who restrict sleep to six hours quickly experience fatigue, elevated blood pressure, and heightened heart‑disease risk, those with the DEC2 mutation avoid these negative effects. The mutation is exceedingly scarce, present in less than 1 percent of self‑identified short‑sleepers, meaning most of us who think we’re “night owls” probably aren’t genetically equipped for it.
Content and copy writer by day and list writer by night, S. Grant enjoys exploring the bizarre, unusual, and topics that hide in plain sight. Contact S. Grant here.